Surprising Facts About The Environment You Didn’t Know

With such a vast topic comes a wide range of interesting facts and figures. The environment is a topic that’s constantly at the center of much public debate and scrutiny. But are we as well-informed as we’d like?

Well, after reading this we will be. Below, you’ll find several surprising facts about our planet that will both shock, intrigue and worry you. Did you really expect anything less?

And that means just two glass bottles, together, could’ve lasted from the ice age to the modern day. Roughly. Two glass bottles from 2016 will last up until 10,016, and by that point, mammoths may roam the Earth once again! Or, at the very least, things will look a lot different.

Let’s hope the internet is still around though – those future beings still need to take selfies.

Fact 2: Around 60 percent of the world’s salmon production is farmed

And if you like the taste of fish (and who doesn’t), that’s good news! The salmon farming industry has grown to an incredible size over the last few years. Salmon is quickly becoming a vital sustainable source which can help provide food to an expanding population.

And that means, for any Brits reading, fish and chips is very much still on the menu.

Fact 3: Around 2.47 million trees are felled each day for paper

That’s an incredible figure that really shows us the importance of replanting what we knock down. And even worse, that 2.47 million figure is just for paper! What about all the other trees that are knocked down for cardboard and other uses?

It’s safe to assume that figure will eclipse the 3 million mark rather swiftly.

Fact 4: The world’s oldest standing tree is 9,950 years old

That means it sprouted sometime during the ice age, and refused to move since then! Located in Sweden, this majestic spruce tree has seen it all – after all, it’s been around for a long, long time. You can visit this tree yourself, if you choose to go on holiday to Sweden anytime soon.

Just be careful not to knock it over – at this point, a sneeze would do it!

Fact 5: All the water on the Earth stays the same

It stays constant, and the levels never adjust. That means some of the water you drink today will have passed through your ancestors. Beyond this, it will have passed through mammoths, dinosaurs and any other creature that has roamed the Earth before now.

It’s amazing stuff! But just remember that the water has been cleaned thoroughly since then.

Fact 6: The U.S. consumes 1500 plastic bottles every second

And that was in 2009. Who knows what the figure is at now! And the sad thing is that most of these will get thrown away. We all harm the Earth in our own little way, and this is one of them. Yes, all that Coke, Pepsi, bottled water and juice may taste nice, but the containers do more harm than good.

So, the next time you have a plastic bottled drink… do your bit – and find a bin!